Back to Square One
by Crystal Joyy
Summary: Karen finds herself going through Danny's things. Problem? So does he. And he isn't too happy about it. A short Mother/Son drabble.


**Back to Square One**

Karen stared at the television idly as she sipped her morning coffee. Grateful for the day being Saturday, she was able to sleep in and not think about work for the next 48 hours. With the day being three hours away from being half gone, she switched to the 9 o'clock news and settled onto the stool behind the breakfast bar. Wearing nothing but her plushy robe, she was ready to have a relaxing weekend, free from the stress of endless spreadsheets and handsy bosses. And she was close to getting her wish... But she'd forgotten about the one person she could count on to make sure her weekend went the exact opposite.

"Karen!" A high-pitched voice accompanied the slam of the front door. Karen could feel the migraine she was sure to have by the end of the day. If no one else, she could always count on her best friend, Rachel, to make sure her only day off is filled with drama and exhaustion. Just talking to her was work itself and Karen couldn't fathom how her husband dealt with her 24-7.

Despite being a handful, Rachel was the best friend she had. She'd moved into the town around a year ago with her husband and three daughters from Colorado. They'd first met at a meeting for the Greener Grove Committee through Tess and bonding over a few shared recipes, they became fast friends. Exchanging numbers along with promises to have brunch together, it soon became a ritual. Soon enough, they were meeting every Thursday for lunch and Karen began to see more and more of Rachel's over-the-top personality. Though, she didn't mind much then. Her hyper behavior and always cheery attitude was exactly what Karen needed with what everything she and Danny were going through.

With the both of them having busy schedules, lunch once a week was the best they could pull. That is until Rachel's husband, Greg, was given a big promotion that came with a huge raise of pay; which ultimately meant she wouldn't have to work anymore. From there on out, Rachel was always visiting the Desai house. Their friendship came easy. She was there to listen without judgement at Karen complain about work and her boss, and in return Karen gave her advice about spicing up her marriage. With Karen's life revolving around work and bills and dating being the last thing on her mind, there wasn't much for her to talk about. Rachel on the other hand, had plenty. Her mouth could run a mile a minute as she demonstrates for Karen more often than she'd like.

"I was down at the farmer's market and you wouldn't believe who I ran into! Willy Nelson!" Rachel exclaimed. "Willy_ fucking_ Nelson! Can you believe it?" She looked at Karen expectantly. In return she'd gotten an only slightly amused expression. Karen shook her head. It was so Rachel to get excited over someone as irrelevant as Willy Nelson.

"You don't even like Willy Nelson," Karen pointed out. "And you say 'ran into him' like you've known him for years." Getting up from her seat, she walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a mug for Rachel, who sighed at Karen's lack of enthusiasm.

"Not the point," she argued. "He's a celebrity, so that makes him a big deal regardless." She took the cup of coffee from Karen as she took the seat across from her.

Regardless of her obsessive chattering, Rachel was a good friend. At least, Karen thought so. Danny thought otherwise. Even though he was grateful for the distraction that brought Karen from the stress of her everyday life, he couldn't help but realize how reckless she was when they got together. On more than one occasion did Danny find Karen getting into mischief with Rachel that she otherwise wouldn't. Just last month they'd bought a building together in hopes of opening a bakery. A week later and only after getting the estimated sum it would cost to get the bakery up and running, did they realize how much they were in over their heads. Til this day they're still trying to sell back the building for a fair price. Or at least sell it to someone as impulsive as them for the original.

"So where's Danny?" Rachel asked pointedly.

"Good question," Karen replied. "I just woke up. He might be in his room." As if on cue, the doorbell rung and Danny's footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. Moments later he walked into the kitchen with Lacey following close behind. They greeted both Karen and Rachel as Danny quickly grabbed his backpack from the counter.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Lacey," Karen smiled. Rachel just asked about you." She turned to reach for a bowl from the cabinet. Danny smiled at her as he grabbed an apple from a glass dish that held a variety of fruits.

"Hmmm," she sized him and Lacey up and down with a raised eyebrow and took a sip from her coffee. Danny looked at her oddly but dismissed her odd behavior.

"I'll see you later mom. I love you." Danny told her as he planted a kissed on her cheek. Karen's heart warmed. She and Danny had grown very close over the past year, and although they still had their differences, they were all each other had. Danny's formality of calling her 'mother' had advanced into more sentimental terms of endearment such as mom, or ma, and once, mommy. He hadn't called her that since his infant years and the small sentiment brought tears to her eyes.

"I love you too, Danny," she told him. He smiled brightly at her before biting into his apple and running out the door.

She stared after him, amazed at how much he resembled Vikram. With his dark brown- almost black- hair and naturally tan skin, he looked nothing like his mother; she jokingly wondered if he were hers. The saying goes: you look like one parent, you act like the other, but he received nothing from Karen in that department neither. From his slightly short temper to his charm and intellect, Danny was his father through and through. She just hoped he wouldn't take up the habit Vikram's side of the family had for hitting the bottle.

"You know they're having sex, right?" Rachel's voice intruded Karen's thoughts. She turned and stared at her for a long moment, before realizing she meant Danny and Lacey, then burst into laughter. Rachel eyed her confidently- as if she pointed out sexually active teens for a living.

"Lacey and Danny?" she questioned before sounding out another laugh. "They've been best friends since they could walk, Rach. Plus, they fought about everything. I doubt they're gonna go from ripping out each other's throats to ripping off each other's clothes." She snorted as she grabbed a box of Raisin Brand and poured herself a bowl.

"Say what you want," Rachel told her, "but I know," She tapped her temple her a long, blood red fingernail. "I've raised three girls, I know that after-sex glow they get," she pointed towards the front door. "and Lacey has it."

Karen shook her head. "Maybe she's just happy about something."

"Yeah, happy about getting laid." Rachel retorted. "I noticed her car outside when I was pulling up. Then she comes and rings the doorbell?" She shook her head. "That tells me she spent the night and that they're sleeping together and doesn't want anyone to know."

Karen was quiet for a moment as she processed what Rachel was saying. "Well even if they were- which they're not-," she quickly added before Rachel could protest. "that's their business."

"But it's your responsibility as a mom to make sure he's being safe," Rachel pointed out.

"I'm sure he is. Danny is very responsible."

"Have you bought him any condoms?" She questioned. The silence filled once again, giving Rachel the answer she already knew.

"Well how do you know he's being safe?" Rachel asked.

"They're not having sex," Karen declared. She sounded more sure than she was.

"Whatever you say Karen." Rachel threw her hands up in surrender. "If you think he's being safe then I guess he is. I would at least check his room to make sure but hey, who am I?" She sipped her coffee and waited for Karen to take the bait she knew she would.

"I'm not going through his room," she insisted. "I trust Danny and he trusts me- I don't wanna ruin that. He's a teenager. They like their privacy."

"I'm not saying you have to let him know about it. And you're not breaking that trust. You're just..." Rachel struggled for the right words. "Doing your job as a good mother."

Honestly, she and Vikram had only given Danny the talk once, and that was before he hit puberty. They'd just repaired they're relationship, the last thing she wanted to do was drive the distance back between them with talk of sex. She left that to Sex Ed. The thought of talking to Danny about condoms wasn't something she was comfortable with and she doubt he would be either.

Karen was skeptical as to whether Danny and Lacey were having sex. She hadn't thought about it before, but now, since Rachel had made many convincing points that she failed to notice sooner, she wondered if maybe it were true. Karen knew Danny was no longer a little boy that was naïve about sex but instead a man that would soon be, if not already, having sex. It was the last thing she wanted to think about, but practical as a mother with a teenage son. Danny was mature and responsible, if there was sex, he would have the common sense to wear a condom.

But Rachel had a point.

What if he wasn't getting the knowledge he needed about sex? What if he was sexually active and didn't know the potential risks that came with it. With the lack of communication teens have with their parents these days, he could be clueless to it all and she'd never know until Danny came to her with talk of him becoming a father at sixteen. With so much ahead of him and so much he's already dealing with, adding a baby into the mix would suffocate him.

Rachel watched Karen's facial expressions go from conflicted, to curious, and finally, reluctance. It was all the confirmation Rachel needed.

"Okay," she relented. Rachel threw her hands up again- this time in celebration. Karen immediately felt like she would regret her decision, but knowing Rachel she wouldn't let her take it back. "But," she insisted. "We're only looking for condoms. That's it. If we find them, I know he's being safe and we're out."

Rachel nodded, to excited to protest. "Lets go!" She grabbed Karen by the wrist and hauled her out the kitchen and up the stairs. Karen rolled her eyes at how childish Rachel could be at times.

Once entering Danny's room, Rachel immediately started rummaging thorough drawers and pulling out clothes. The way she was flinging clothes everywhere reminded Karen of a child looking for candy. But that was Rachel. She was like an adult stuck in their terrible twos.

"Don't make too much of a mess." Karen told her. "We have to make it look like we weren't here."

"Karen look around you," Rachel never stopped what she was doing. "This entire room is a mess." Looking around, Karen realized she was right. Danny's room resembled that of an actual teenage boy. Clothes were strewn everywhere and posters of half naked women hung from the walls along with names of bands like Passion Pit and The Weeknd. To say that Karen was surprised would be an understatement. Danny always kept his room clean and organized. The realization that Danny wasn't comfortable enough to decorate his room before made the guilt she was already feeling ten times worst.

Karen looked to see Rachel had moved on from the drawers and was now going through a box that was hidden under his bed.  
"Rachel, maybe we shouldn't-" Karen started.

"Ha!" Rachel cut her off, holding up a box of Trojan condoms. "See? I tole ya."

Karen stared at the box, completely frozen. Rachel didn't seem to notice. "There's only like three left in here and it's a pack of twelve."

Karen grabbed the box and emptied it out on the bed. Rachel was right- only three were left. Not only was Danny having sex, but he was having a lot of it; most likely with Lacey. If this pack is almost empty, who's to say there weren't others?

"Karen..." Rachel shook her. Looking up, Karen noticed her holding a baggie along with a few other unidentified items. "Sex isn't the only thing he's getting into," she told her, shoving the bag of weed and a colorful, glass smoking pipe into her hands.

"Mom?" Both Karen and Rachel's heads turned at the sound of the voice coming from the bedroom door. Danny stood there looking between the two of them, brows furrowed, then to the condoms laid out out on the bed, and finally to the ounce of weed and pipe in Karen's hand. "Are you going through my things?" He asked. The betrayal in his eyes was evident.

"Danny-" Karen looked at the items once again. There was no excuse to what she was doing other than the truth. "I was just-" She sat the items on the bed and wiped her hands on her robe as if she were trying to wipe her hands from the situation completely.

Danny crossed the room in three, easy, long strides and quickly grabbed the condoms and paraphernalia and shoved them back into their original box.

"Get out," he told them simply. Rachel was already out the door, Karen on the other hand, was still frozen in her place. Her mouth hanging agape.

"Go!" His booming voice recoiled off the walls of the small room. He was shoving the box back under his bed when Karen finally snapped back to reality. She felt remorseful before finally realizing that while she was wrong, Danny had no right to speak to her that way.

She smoothed out her robe and lifted her chin high. She was prepared to give him a thorough tongue lashing before she saw the look on his face. He sat on his bed and looked at her with so much disappointment and let-down that she couldn't even find it in her heart to chastise him.

"Please leave," the sound of his voice was like a knife to her heart. She never heard him sound so hurt.

"Karen, you're the parent. Don't let him talk to you like that," Rachel's voice came from the door. Karen tore her eyes away from Danny's to look at her. She hasn't stepped foot back into the room; standing behind the threshold as if there were an invisible barrier stopping her. She stared at her for a few long moments before turning back to Danny, whose face wore a mask of unreadable expressions. He looked from Rachel then back to Karen, his eyes daring her.

"Danny," she started. "I'm your mother, and I refuse to let you speak to me that way." The silence that filled the room was maddening as it droned on.

Finally Danny spoke. "Yes, Mother," was all he said before pushing past her and leaving the room. Not long afterwards, the sound of the front door slamming sounded throughout the entire house.

Mother. Not Mom or Mommy. But Mother.

The realization behind what she'd done hit her hard. She and Danny were finally getting somewhere. They _were_ somewhere. They had finally reached the point in their relationship where they can sit down at the dinner table and eat like a normal family. Well, as normal as their little family got.

They spent quality time together and often had mother/son days where it was just them and a brunch of 80's movies. All tension between them was gone and replaced with the easy going relationship she'd grown to appreciate. All those years ago, she'd regretted wishing for a daughter and now even more so since she was glad she'd had a boy as wonderful as Danny instead.

But now, having Rachel influence her once again, she and Danny were back to square one. And know knows how much time and effort on her part it would take to gain back all the progress they'd made.


End file.
